Judge Strikes Down Key Parts of New Arizona Immigration Law

Just a day before Arizona’s controversial new immigration law is set to go into effect, a federal judge handed opponents a last-minute victory by blocking the most controversial parts from being enforced. The law will still go into effect Thursday minus the provision that required police officers to investigate whether a person is in the U.S. illegally at the time of an arrest.

In addition, U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton blocked the portion of law, which was signed by Republican Gov. Jan Brewer in April, that made it a crime for illegal immigrants to look for work or perform work and also, a person failing to carry immigration registration.

The judge’s decision marks a small victory for the Obama administration, which had requested an injunction against the law, saying that immigration matters should be controlled by the federal government. People on both sides of the law have promised appeals of any legal action.

Last week, as the law was challenged in federal court, Ray Suarez hosted a discussion with two law professors, one a critic of the law, and another who helped write it: